Unique winter conditions cause frozen ice waves

Unique winter conditions cause frozen ice waves

It’s been a pretty chilly winter, which has caused some very odd ice phenomena. Don’t believe us? Check out some of our coverage on such strange occurrences as rime ice, creeping ice, and even ice balls. But off the coast of Nantucket, the frigid conditions caused the waves to literally become part ice, creating a beautiful effect that can only be described as “slush waves.”

The spectacular sight is caused by waves hitting beds of loose ice that form near the shore, but not farther out to sea. As the waves break near shore, they pick up the loose ice, creating a strange and awesome visual texture that you normally don’t see in water photography.

Photographer and surfer Jonathan Nimerfroh was on hand to catch some amazing snapshots. A self-described “obsessive” when it comes to the sea, Nimefroh has many more photographs which show the majesty of the ocean, and you can find these on his website and Instagram accounts.

We thank Nimefroh for his dedication in capturing the beauty of nature even in the harshest of conditions. Who knows, maybe next time he’ll jump on a paddleboard like this brave photographer, and get some closeups!